By: Follow South Jersey Staff
VINELAND, N.J. — Officials broke ground on the planned Rowan Medicine Center-Cumberland on the Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) campus in Vineland on Tuesday, October 5.
RCSJ together with Rowan University, the Cumberland County Board of County Commissioners as well as state and local government officials, administrators, educators and health care leaders were joined by college faculty, staff and students to celebrate this significant event. The new medical facility, dedicated to the health and psychological well-being of children and families, will help support the South Jersey community and its residents.
“It wasn’t too long ago that Dr. Houshmand, Dr. Keating and I spoke about the need to develop an “Eds/Meds” corridor along Route 55,” Senate President Steve Sweeney said. “Today, Rowan is among the top 100 public research universities in the nation, and Rowan College of South Jersey is the state’s most forward-looking community college. Their partnership has led not only to a new model for higher education, but now is demonstrating how to bring much-needed specialized medical services to communities in need.”
Joseph Derella, director, Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, hailed Rowan’s new medical center as a “game changer.”
“Rowan Medicine Center is yet another step in the fulfillment of our vision for the Cumberland campus as a regional hub of innovation in education, healthcare and technology,” he said.
The two-story, 17,354 square-foot Rowan Medicine Center–Cumberland will be an essential–and invaluable–expansion of clinical services for Cumberland County, and the surrounding region. The building will comprise three clinical areas. The first floor will house the Rowan Integrated Special Needs (RISN) Center, providing primary and behavioral health care services for individuals with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities. Along with RISN, the first floor will also offer Rowan Medicine’s NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute (NMI). The NMI provides medication assisted treatment combined with counseling to assist patients as they recover from addiction.
The second floor will be home to the globally respected Child Abuse Research Education and Service Institute (CARES), which will provide an assortment of medical and mental health services developed to help heal children and families who have experienced abuse or trauma.
“As the state’s only osteopathic medical school, we take great pride in being able to provide high quality, team-based specialized services to our South Jersey neighbors who might not have access to this type of care,” said Dr. Thomas Cavalieri, dean, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. “Our Rowan Medicine team looks forward to becoming part of the RCSJ community in Cumberland County, serving patients and partnering with them for healthier outcomes.”
“We are proud to have RCSJ as a partner, both in developing new pathways to high-quality academic programs and in providing much-needed medical services to the region,” Dr. Ali A. Houshmand, president, Rowan University, said. “Building Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine facilities on RCSJ campuses broadens our service area while bringing specialized health care to communities with growing needs.”
“The construction of the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine Clinical Center on the Cumberland campus will provide residents with a new medical facility dedicated to the health and psychological well-being of children and families,” Sweeney added. “It is further validation of the wisdom of our push to move the School of Osteopathic Medicine from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) to Rowan when we reorganized the state’s medical schools eight years ago.”
Additional partners in the project include Inspira Health Network and the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors. The Rowan Medicine Center’s Cumberland campus building will join the Gloucester campus Rowan Medicine Center, becoming bookends for RCSJ’s Route 55 “EDs, MEDs and Commerce Corridor.”
“Rowan College of South Jersey is steadfast in its commitment to build on the Eds, Meds, and Commerce promise we made to the community. We have strong support for this project from respected regional organizations including the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors,” said Dr. Frederick Keating, president, RCSJ. “The College is proud to offer academic programs that align with our vision of providing students an opportunity for clinical experiences, through Rowan University, that will help enhance their prospects for future careers in the healthcare field.”
According to RCSJ, the project is a forward-thinking endeavor that will assist in making health care available to South Jersey residents, provide a higher quality of life for the area’s citizens and leave a positive economic impact on the community.
“I wholeheartedly congratulate Presidents Houshmand and Keating on their vision and leadership,” Sweeney said.
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